I Do
by omg-its-jenna
Summary: Lily's wedding to Bart, well until Rufus arrives.


All morning, she hasn't moved from the spot. The spot is in the chair where her makeup person and hair person are doing her hair. She hasn't said a word, afraid that if she did say something it would be "I don't want to marry him," or somewhere along those lines.

Every night she wakes up in a nightmare, it's where her daughter is telling her that she would rather be Chuck's step sister than Dan's, and where Lily is giving up her own happiness for her daughter. She hated that day, hated breaking Rufus' heart, when all she wanted to do was take him close and run away with him.

She knew she didn't love Bart, not even one-third as much as she loved Rufus. She never loved anyone as much as she loved Rufus. The only guy who came close was Serena's father and that was only because he had kept her mind off Rufus, but not even that was half as much. She didn't think she would love anyone as much as him.

"Miss, I am done with your hair. You like?" The hair person said. What was her name? Linda? Lynn? Lynette? Lily didn't know, or couldn't remember.

Lily nodded; she was glad that the two caught on quick about her not wanting to talk. She hadn't even looked at her hair, she didn't care. Why would she care? She was marrying a guy she didn't care about and never would. They may as well just be getting their divorce already.

She had told Bart she hadn't wanted to do a big wedding; she'd already had one of those. But he said that he loved her and wouldn't give her anything but what she deserved. Apparently what she deserved was a big wedding to a man she didn't love with a bunch of people she didn't care about watching her get up in front of them and lie to their faces.

"Mom?" She heard her daughter's voice, quiet and small. She must have heard about Lily's no talking thing.

She saw Serena walk over to the chair and tell the people to have a five minute break. She looked beautiful, her hair that she got from Lily, long blond curly hanging loosely to her shoulders. Her hour-glass figure was in an amazing brown dress with a v-neck.

Serena sat down in the chair next to her. "Mom? Are you sure you want to do this?" she asked in a quiet voice almost whisper.

Lily bits down on her lip. If only, her daughter knew. She felt like screaming NO. She didn't want any of this, the money, the wedding, Bart, she would be happy living in a tour bus touring the country if it meant she could have Rufus. She would even give up her kids, not that she would tell anyone that fact. She sighs and nods.

But Serena saw the hesitation. "Mom, you know if you don't want to do this, you don't have to." She said.

Lily closed her eyes and began to lean her head back but brought if forward again thinking she could ruin her hair. "I want too." Lily voice whispered. They both knew it was a lie; her voice was unsure and sad.

"Eric and I would not be entirely upset if you called the wedding off." Serena said with a smile.

That made the corners of Lily's mouth turn up about a millimeter. She thought it was funny, well not funny but she knew that her kids did not like Bart. They almost disliked Bart as much as she disliked the thought of being married to him.

She knew that it would end soon though. Guys like Bart liked young women, and soon Bart would be spending time away on more and more "business trips". And soon it would be enough to get a lawyer and divorce him with winding up with at least half of his money.

"Mom, um Dan's dad is here." Serena said looking at the door.

"What?" Lily turned to the door seeing Rufus. She then turned back to Serena. "Can you give us a few minutes and tell the workers not to disturb us." She whispered so Rufus wouldn't hear. Serena nodded and got up, shutting the door behind her.

Lily took the bottle of water in front of her and took a sip, so her voice would be normal and not squeaky from not talking. She got up, and fixed her white silk rob. With her blond hair pulled up perfectly and in her white silk rob that made her look super skinny, she looked beautiful. The only thing that was wrong was her face, it wasn't happy, especially her eyes.

"Lil. You look beautiful." Rufus said quietly. He hadn't talked to Lily since she had spoken to him at the bus stop about to run away together.

"Thank you." She said quietly. She had no idea why they were whispering but wanted to keep it up, the less she talked and the more quietly she did it the more likely she wouldn't say things she would regret. Like "I love you," or "I don't wanna marry Bart, I want to marry you." She figured if she shared how she felt it would ruin her daughter's happiness and at least since her happiness was thrown out the window at seventeen she may as well try to keep her daughter happy.

"So you're really going through with this?" He asked.

She nodded. "Yeah."

"Wow. I didn't think you would."

"Why not?" She asked trying to avoid looking at him by moving constantly and picking up random things and setting them in a different spot acting as though she knew what she was doing.

He grabbed her shoulders and stopped her from moving. He kept her from moving and walked her over to the couch sitting her down next to him.

She looked down, trying to concentrate on how fascinating her knee had suddenly become.

He had let go of her shoulders as they sat down and he moved his right hand forefinger to place it under her chin and bring her face up to look him in the eyes. "Lil," He said quietly.

She bit her lip and looked up at him, wow. She hadn't noticed but he looked better than she remembered. She tried not to think about her knee touching his.

"Lil, what's wrong? I thought you wanted this wedding. Your not happy and don't try lying to me because you know it won't work." He said with a smile. He loved how he knew everything about her, or well mostly everything. He hated how he didn't know why she had not run away with him that night. She had said she had wanted to, and then she didn't. But he tried to focus on how he was trying to figure out why she was sad. "Lil, you can tell me."

She looked down; she put her hand in front of her mouth trying to figure out what to say.

"Lil?" He asked.

She nodded. She had gone into the state of not talking again.

"Do you want me to ask you yes or no questions?" he asked as a joke.

But even so she nodded, and he laughed. "Okay." He said. "Um, do you want to marry Bart?"

She took a moment then shook her head no.

"Are you going to anyway?"

She shook her head yes.

"Why?" He asked her for a moment forgetting the yes/ no questions. But when she didn't talk he said, "Oh yeah. Yes/no. Right. Um, do you like, love, lust, anything along those lines, me?"

She took a moment and shook yes.

"But you can't be with me."

She shook her head yes, again.

"Is it because of finical status?" He asked her meaning money, was it because of money.

She shook her head no.

"Because you love him more than me?"

She looked at him, surprised. "No. I don't. Never." She whispered.

He was taken back that she talked. "Then why?"

"A couple of reasons." She said still being quiet. "Well he's safe; I know I never truly will be hurt by his cheating or if we don't work out because I don't love him." She started. She sighed, "And because of me not wanting to be hurt again like the last time we broke up, and after you left me at the corner. I was numb and in pain for well a couple of months after that." She said, not mentioning she still felt the numbness and the pain. "And well because Serena."

"Serena? What does she have to do with this?" he asked.

She looked down, "Serena she um, she asked me not to. She really has feelings for your son." Lily said.

"Well, would you really like to live your life in the what ifs?" he asked her.

She shook her head no.

Linda/Lynn/Lynette leaned her head in the door. "Miss, we need to get you in your dress."

Lily stood up, "Wait here, I'll be back." She whispered. She then got up and went with whatever her name was to the dressing room. She was back in ten minutes.

He stood up as she walked back into the room, "Lily. You look really beautiful." He said walking to her.

"Thanks," she said with a smile.

"So even though we talked about this your still going to marry him." He said in defeat.

She bit her lip, "Yes. I'm sorry."

He shrugged.

"I do love you. I always will." She said.

He shrugged it off and nodded like it meant something, when he knew it didn't.

Whatever her name peeked in, "Miss. Showtime."

"I'll be there in a second." Lily said and the girl disappeared.

"Are you going to watch?" She asked him, she hoped he would.

"Watch you lie to everyone. No thanks. I'm good." He said sarcastically.

She nodded, "Okay. Well I do love you even though I know you don't think I do." She said. She leaned in and gave him a kiss on the lips. "Maybe if somehow you still single ….." She said trailing off. They both knew what she meant.

She left the room.

He had her voice ringing in his ears. "Well I do love you even though I know you don't think I do." He closed his eyes and he sighed. He knew what he wanted to do, so he took a deep breath and went out to the wedding.

He sat through the whole wedding, till the part where he wanted came up.

"So if there are any objections. Speak now or forever hold your piece."

It was quiet and then.

"I do." Rufus said.

"Me too." Jenny said standing up.

"Me three." Eric said, smiling at Jenny.

"Me fourth." Serena said, raising her hand.

"Me fifth." Dan said.

Lily laughed at everyone objecting. She looked at Rufus and smiled, shaking her head in disapproval. "What the hell. I object." She said to the minister. She turned to Bart, "I am sorry." She said. She then picked up her dress and ran down the aisle, meeting up with Rufus and running the rest of the way down, the kids at her heels.

Outside of the church, Rufus hugged Lily, then took her face in his hands and kissed her. He then pulled away, "I love you. But I think you already knew that." He said with a smile.

She nodded, "I did." She then leaned in to kiss him again. They didn't even notice as the kids climbed into the horse carriage ride.

"Come on." Jenny yelled at them.

They laughed and came and climbed into the carriage and rode it all the way to Brooklyn. They all got out and partied all night. Well actually, the kids mostly left Lily and Rufus to talk and do other things. And they didn't even notice as the kids climbed down the fire escape, even though they made a ton of noise. And they didn't notice as the kids gave their parents all night to do whatever they choose. After all it was Lily's wedding night.


End file.
